NEW YEAR = NEW PLANTS
Characteristics of Healthy Seed
Regardless of the origin or certified
status of seeds, you want them to
be healthy. Even certified organic,
heirloom seed is useless to you if it has
not been stored properly or is too old.
Here are a few things you should keep
in mind to ensure that you are using
high-quality seeds.
Storage – Whether storing seed you
collected yourself or purchased from a
reputable source, seed should not be
stored under warm or moist conditions.
Seed is best stored in dark, cool, and
dry conditions. Note that seed should
not come packaged in clear or seethrough packaging. Keep this in mind
if you plan to store seeds in areas that
are prone to moisture, such as many
basements. Seed should also not be
stored in the open such, as on a countertop or windowsill. This is fine if you
are about to sow them, but is not effective for long-term storage.
“A hybrid plant is one that
“A hybrid plant is one that
resulted from the cross
resulted from the cross
of
two or more different
of two or more different
varieties ofvarieties
plants.” of plants.”
Age – Age is a tricky metric with seeds,
but in general, you should always use
seed that was collected from the previous season. The older the seed is, the
less viable it is and the more age needs
to be used to account for the reduced
performance. This does not mean that
seed older than one year old should be
automatically thrown out; it means you
should not expect the same performance
per seed as younger stock.
Of course, there are always exceptions.
If you live in a climate with a shorter
growing season, you may be better
served by using slightly older seed, as
it tends to mature quicker than younger
seed, though often at the expense of
higher yields. In nature, seed can lay
dormant for many years before germinating. This is not the normal cycle
for the types of annual crops that most
gardeners grow. Most food and flower
crops that are widely cultivated are
those that spring forth from the most
recent season’s seed drop.
Texture – Healthy and viable seeds
should not break when squeezed or feel
sponge-like. They should be firm, plump
(for their respective species), and have a
hard casing. Any seed that is squishy or
otherwise pliable should be discarded; it
is likely diseased or very old.
Size – Size is also a consideration with
seed. It is rare that you will obtain
an exact seed count when buying a
package of seeds; generally, only the
142
Maximum Yield USA | January 2017
weight is reported on the packaging. If given the choice between “X”
number of seeds per ounce or gram
and some number less than “X” per the
exact same weight, always go with the
lesser amount. It may seem counterintuitive or that you are getting less for
your money, but larger seeds (of the
same species), more often than not,
yield more vigorous plants than plants
grown from smaller seeds.
Additional Considerations
After you have weighed your options
and settled on your chosen varieties,
there are a couple of things you should
consider doing.
Take note – Each packet of commercially
sold seed should have a lot number or
some other identifying code. Write it
down somewhere or make sure to save
the seed packet. You may need this